Sacrifice
by SteelAndFire
Summary: This is a pretty short story told from the perspective of a dark elven girl who makes a really big mistake. Rated Teen to be safe, please read and review. Chapter 3 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Okay, new story. I mostly wrote it because I think dark elf guys are really cute and I wanted to write about a really cute dark elf guy. Please read, review, and be honest:)

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I lay quietly in bed, my head resting on a silken pillow. The window to my room, barred and properly protected, looked out at the city. I could see the great clock tower of Narbondel and watch the glow rise slowly.

He, the one who started it all, slept beside me. His legs were drawn up tight against his chest, as if he was cold or protecting himself from something. His breathing was steady, except for the occasional whimper or gasp. I had long been convinced he had nightmares, but he never told me anything. If I brought up how he acted in his sleep, he would blush and apologize, but he didn't explain, and I didn't ask.

He was a sweet, timid boy, the younger brother of one of my acquaintances from House Kenafin. When he first came into my possession he wasn't in particularly great shape. His sister, though she was a fairly intelligent girl with a good sense of humor, did not deign to show mercy to her annoying male siblings. And, since she had such a marvelously fun-loving personality, Tebryn was quite an amusement to her. I am fairly certain that his night terrors had their origin in the games she played with him.

I, however, could never bring myself to punish him severely. He was well-behaved, obedient, and utterly proper. He had done reasonably well in Sorcere. He did not have any estimate of himself as anything greater than what he was, and he was thoroughly grateful to be allowed his life.

Until I met Tebryn, it had never occured to me that perhaps the whole situation in Menzoberranzan, the whole Lolth-driven society, was anything but normal. It was, after all, what every one of us was taught. What reason had I to doubt it? But when I saw Tebryn, such a sweet-tempered, dutiful boy, get punished for some trivial thing that had more to do with his sister's boredom than any misdeed committed by him, I could not help feeling at first, pity for him, then disdain for his sisters, then guilt on my own part. Of course, one cannot question one thing without questioning another, and then slowly the whole spiderweb begins to unravel.

Tebryn had been living with me for around two months by then, and the longer I observed the humiliation of his existence, and the longer I considered the fanatical behavior of my fellow priestesses, and the longer I studied Lolth's holy doctrines, the more I wondered and worried. And the more I became attached to Tebryn.

I was convinced that he was absolutely without guile. There seemed to be no fire in him, not even resentment at his way of life. He was content with his lot, grateful for his own existence, and utterly loyal. I never considered that he might have a thought process as complex as mine, nor a mind as highly developed. I wonder if perhaps that was because he was male-and I had been conditioned to think that way of males, or if his meekness and gentleness was the cause of my belief. At any rate, while I certainly was fond of him, I did not consider him my equal.

I did begin to develop some sort of respect for my elder brother Zhanji; he was an exceptionally talented and powerful wizard, and as I discovered the injustices present in Lolth's doctrines, I realized what determination and courage it must have taken for him to reach such heights. I have never told him my feelings, or otherwise conveyed my admiration. I wish he - and the others like him - were aware that at least one person applauded their achievements. He must have felt so alone.

At any rate, that is straying a little from the topic. As I said, the more I considered the drow way of life, the more I became apprehensive and the more affectionate I grew towards the thin boy who seemed a victim of the world in general.

There is a rule, created by Lolth and Her clergy, that if a priestess becomes overly fond of a male, she must kill him. It is a sensible rule. Fondness might grow into something stronger and then the priestess would have an entirely unnecessary weakness. It is unbecoming of a priestess of Lolth to be weak. Especially if the cause is a mere male.

I do not know who reported me. It might have been one of my sisters, or my mother, or maybe even Tebryn's sister. I only know that that morning as I lay lazily in bed, there was a knock at the door.

Tebryn stirred slightly, but did not wake. I slipped out of bed and into a robe. I threw the door open, ready to wreak my wrath on the poor fool who dared disturb me. My elder sister stood in the doorway, so I did not get a chance to vent my fury.

"Matron Mother wants you," she regarded me critically. "You should get dressed."

"Should I?" I closed the door and sighed.

So the Matron wanted to see me. It could be good news, it could be bad news, it could be nothing important. There was no use in worrying about it. I dressed relatively quickly, pulled the sheet over Tebryn, and left.

My stately mother awaited me in the chapel.

"Dearest daughter," she began.

I didn't think that sounded like good news. Not for me at least.

"You are aware, of course, that our exalted Lady of Spiders does not condone her priestesses being overly concerned about boys."

"Of course, Matron Mother." A cold feeling of dread rose up inside me, but I held true to my training and did not allow my emotions to show on my face or in my voice.

"You must always remember, dear Qilue, that the dread Lady of Spiders comes first in all things."

"Certainly, Matron Mother." I wished she would get to the point, but I had an uncomfortable feeling that I knew what this was all about.

"That Tabryn boy should probably be sacrificed, is what I'm saying." She smiled benevolently down at me. "I'm sure it won't be a big trouble for you, and you must prove your loyalty to Lady Lolth."

"Of course, mother." If a priestess did become fond of a male, it was not such a strange occurence. I would not be punished or looked down upon. I just had to kill Tebryn, tie him to the altar, cut his heart out with a knife, sacrifice him to the Queen of the Abyss. It was a simple rule, a simple procedure. There was no reason in the Underdark for the sea of panic suddenly swirling around inside me.

I bowed to the Matron and took my leave. I was expected to take Tebryn's life before the end of the day.

I returned to my room, where he still slept blissfully - or as blissfully as he ever did. I sat beside him and ran my fingers slowly through his hair. His eyes fluttered open and they tentatively met mine. I smiled at him and he beamed back at me. A lump rose in my throat, and for the first time since I was a child, I felt like crying.

I am not a good person. I have always yearned, thirsted for power. I feel that hunger with every step I take; that void in my soul that must be filled. I want strength more than anything. I want to know it and have it and hold it. I want the world to kneel before me. I want to destroy my enemies and all those who dare stand in my way. I have no honor, no principles, no morals. All I have ever cared about is myself.

So why did I question the Spider Queen? And why was it a big deal to kill one scrawny little male? I would just destroy him, I thought, and get it over with. I should probably drug him or something, so he wouldn't squirm about on the altar or plead for mercy. I told him to sit up, my voice breaking, and he readily agreed. I could see both concern and fear in his eyes, and some part of me longed to embrace him and comfort him. He knew something was wrong, and the more I stood there, staring fiercely at my hands, the more frightened he became.

"My lady...what's happening?"

"Shut up!" My hand leapt forward and I had slapped him. "When I want you to know, I'll tell you!"

His apology was barely audible and I felt shame welling up inside me. Half of me was shouting for me to take out my whip, beat him into unconsciousness, and offer his worthless soul up to Lolth within the hour. The other half of me was ashamed, guilty, and rapidly developing a way to save him-and myself.

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Okay, there's chapter 1. I've alreadyfinished this story, but I might rewrite some parts of it later to make it better. I'm also considering re-writing Nym's Story, to make the story flow more smoothly and realistically. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter two! I just got out of school and hopefully now I can focus a little more on improving my writing skills. Constructive criticism welcome! And nice reviews are great too :D Thanks for reading!

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I wasn't sure how long I stood there thinking. It was probably somewhere around five minutes, but in that time, I made what was probably the most important decision of my life. When I had solidified my resolve, I took a deep breath and went into action.

I could feel Tebryn's eyes on me as I assembled my travel gear and put it in my pack. He didn't dare ask another question, but I could almost sense his concern in the air.

I rang for a slave, told the confused goblin to bring me travel rations, packed the food too when it arrived and mentally ran through everything I had so far. I couldn't think of anything else we'd need, so I told Tebryn to get dressed so we could go.

He scrambled to obey, and I waited and worried while he hastily got ready.

I led him down to the stables, saddled up two lizards - I didn't want to wait for a slave again - and we were off. I left the house without incident. Same at the city gates.

Finally, when we had been in the Underdark for about fifteen minutes and the deathly quiet had settled in all around me, I began to wonder at the recklessness of what I had done. When had I become so impulsive? Then I scolded myself for doubting. Even if I had made the stupidest possible choice, there was no going back now. And I had to have conviction in what I was doing, or there was no way I would suceed.

I turned around to look at Tebryn. His lizard was about a foot behind mine, and he was hunched over, his head hanging. His shoulders shook and I realized he was crying silently. I reined my mount in to fall into line beside his. I lifted his face to look at me, and the sight of his tear-streaked features almost broke my heart.

_Hey _I signed _Don't worry, okay? Everything's going to be fine now._

He swallowed hard._ Where are we going? What's happening?_

I didn't know where to start.

_Someone decided that I cared too much about you, and the Matron ordered me to kill you. So we're going away now._

He stared at me, wide-eyed. _You're leaving because of me?_ His hand movements were jerky. I nodded.

_I'm sorry_. He sniffled quietly and I snapped my head around to look for anything that might have heard._Sorry again._I smiled at him. He tried to smile back, but continued looking wretchedly miserable.

_So you aren't going to kill me?_

I shook my head. He looked at me cautiously, biting his lip. He very seldom maintained eye contact for more than a few seconds, but now he was watching very closely for some sign of what was going on in my head. He lowered his gaze after a few moments, and apologized again. He didn't ask why I didn't sacrifice him, and I didn't think I could answer anyway.

_Where are we going?_

_Ched Nasad, I think._

He swallowed again. His hand found mine and held it tightly. What, I thought, had I done?

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Again, thanks a lot for reading. Please review and let me know what you think! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3! If you're reading this story please let me know if you like it or not (and if not, why not:D), so I can decide whether or not to wrap it up after this chapter or keep going. I really appreciate the reviewers so far :) Thanks so much, guys! And the ending is still to be determined...I'm sorry if all my stories have kind of angsty endings; I'm trying to think of some sort of happy-ending plot. Um, anyway, yeah, thanks for reviewing if you have and please review if you're reading and you haven't!

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It was foolish of me to think that it would be so easy. We had not traveled for more than a few hours when five lizards with riders slipped out of the stone ahead of us, blocking our path.

My eldest sister was in the front and she smiled wryly at me.

"Hello, little sister."

I nodded my head, returning the greeting. Behind her was the youngest of my mother's five daughters, barely graduated from Arach Tinilith. And behind the youngest were three well-outfitted drow males.

"So," asked my elder sister. "What exactly are you doing?" I could hear Tebryn's shuddering breaths behind me. I discreetly put one hand behind my back and signed to him, _Get back. Get out of the way._ He pulled his lizard back further. My sister gave him a quick, disdainful glance.

What could I have said? "I don't want to kill him." I told my sister. She sneered.

"You've lost it, Qilue," she said. "You had a lot of promise. Mother told us to go bring you back. You are wanted, maybe even needed. How could you be so stupid to throw it all away for this idiot male?"

The younger laughed nervously. "I don't get it," she said. "C'mon, Qilue. Just kill him out here and then we can go back."

"Don't worry, Sabal," said the eldest. She didn't take her gaze off me, though she was addressing the youngest. "I guess Qilue doesn't want to come back."

She started to cast a divine spell. Sabal was somewhat confused; she most likely expected our elder sister to put up more of an argument. She was naive; why would anyone waste a chance to eliminate a potential threat to her position?

I too, called on Lolth for magic. But unlike my sister, I found no response. Of course. What could one expect?

I took a throwing knife from my belt and threw it at my sister. It was not a very calculated move, but it stopped the spell-casting.

"Ah, Qilue," she said, grinning as she realized what was wrong. "Your goddess doesn't care about you anymore." I shrugged and drew my mace.

She gestured and the warriors charged. Their lizards surrounded mine, intimadating it. I had never been particularly skilled with weapons and I was struggling to simply parry their attacks, hoping I could somehow turn the tide.

Then my limbs froze up and I knew it was over. A hilt of someone's sword smashed me in my face. My vision wavered; my eyes filled with blood. I could feel my elder sister's hand gripping the front of my shirt. "Idiot," she whispered. Her fist drove into my ribs and I gasped for air. She released my shirt, only to grab my neck. I choked and futilely tried to thrash free. My thoughts clouded and I fell into unconsciousness.

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When I woke up, I was lying on a cloak that had been stretched over the cold stone floor. My wounds were mostly healed and I could recognize the effects of the potions I had been carrying. Someone had saved me, but who?

Tebryn was sitting beside me, his eyes worried, his face gaunt.

"My lady," he whispered. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "What did you do?" I asked.

"I helped." He looked away and I followed his gaze to a pile of bodies a distance away. Five bodies. He'd killed everyone, on his own. I looked back at him wonderingly. He smiled; his innocent, hopeful, stupidsmile.

"It's all going to be okay now, my lady," he said. "Soon you can go to Ched Nasad and become a priestess there. You're very talented, a House will take you in, and you'll be happy."

I smiled at him, an alien peace was descending over me. "I have lost Lolth's favor."

"But you'll get it back, my lady. I'm going to die soon."

"What?" The serenity evaporated. My vision blurred again, momentarily.

"I'm tired, my lady." Of course. Whatever spell he had cast to kill them all must have taken everything out of him.

I stared at him. Tears started to prickle the backs of my eyes and I could feel the warm, salty water sliding down my face. I hadn't cried for as long as I could remember. "But..."

"No, no!" He sounded like he was going to start crying too. "Don't be sad, my lady." His slender fingers brushed my tears away."Don't be sad, mistress, it's going to be okay." He hugged me, buried his face in my neck, and I hugged him back. He was thin and frail in my arms and I couldn't accept that I would lose him.

"Why, Tebryn?" I could hear the childish desperation, the shrillness in my voice. It was a miracle no monster came and found us. "Why did you do that?"

He pulled out of the hug and looked me. His eyes were wide and solemn and sad. "You care about me, my lady. You're the only one in the whole world who ever cared about me. I wish I could help. I wish I wasn't such a trouble. But this is the best I can do. Thank you so much for being nice to me and taking care of me. You made my life so happy, and I want to make yours happy too." His voice broke and he was crying. There was nothing I could say. I wrapped my arms around him and I held his fragile warmth close and safe until he died.

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Isn't it sad? Just a wittle, teensy TINY bit sad? Pleeease? Erhehehe...anyway, please let me know if you'd like me to continue working on this one, or just wrap it up? And if you don't like, PLEASE let me know why. I'm 15 years old and trying desperately to develop some sort of skill in this writing thing; if you tell me now, I can learn :D Thanks again for reading and hopefully reviewing! 


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